


The Many Approaches to Parenting

by Peter164



Series: Alternate Universe [12]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Adopted Children, Alternate Universe - Domestic, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Amputation, Canon Disabled Character, Dad Reaper | Gabriel Reyes, Dad Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison, Family Feels, Human Zenyatta, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-21
Updated: 2017-04-18
Packaged: 2018-09-18 04:06:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9367244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peter164/pseuds/Peter164
Summary: Gabe moved in next door to a wild home. There was nearly always someone screaming and chasing someone else. His little family is invited to a welcome dinner at that very house, and he finds that the father of these insane kids is actually pretty sweet.





	1. Chapter 1

Gabe felt as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, he'd finally moved. He still had unpacking to do, but that could wait. He had done it. Finally a house that could fit his little family. A bedroom for both kids and enough bathrooms to keep either one from breaking a door down because Marie was taking too long or Jesse had it all to himself forever. He stood on the porch, leaning against the railing with a coffee in his hand. He felt peaceful. At the neighbors' house, a small girl came sprinting outside with a boy's shoe. A boy, around the same age was chasing her around and demanding his shoe back. Instead of handing it to him, she threw the shoe and hit him directly between the eyes. He held his face in his hands and screamed that he was telling dad. The little girl just giggled and ran back inside, only to get stopped by an older girl, maybe middle school age. She scolded her about hitting her brother and took the two inside, promising to get ice for his face. The only thing that confused Gabe was the fact that the little girl looked Asian, the boy was Australian, and the older girl was English, but they all seemed like siblings. 

Marie came outside to tell him that it was time to leave. She had her new job to go to. She had a permit but she had to have an adult in the car with her. Gabe climbed in the passenger seat and made sure she didn't crash the car. He texted Jesse to see what he was up to, he replied with a simple _Found some new friends. Don't worry brb home soon <3_ He rolled his eyes and watched the road ahead. He was happy that Jesse had taken to him so well. Granted he came into his life when he was still too little to really understand what happened, but it still warmed his heart. Alejandra was calling him, he quickly answered.

"Hi Ali." Gabe smiled through the phone.

" _Hola_ , Gabriel. How's our little _Sombra_ doing lately. I've been meaning to call her and talk." She said with her thick accent. 

"She's doing pretty good. She's driving right now, otherwise I'd let you talk to her. She's on her way to her new job." He told his ex-wife.

"What is she doing?" She asked.

"The police station hired her to check the computer security. She basically hacks into their computer system to tell them how to improve it and she gets paid. It's her first day." He glanced over to her with a smile on his face. 

"Oh, she'll adore that. Honestly she'll probably have more fun yelling at them than she will helping them." She laughed on the other end. He had to let her go because they were pulling in. They walked inside and the police chief introduced himself to the pair. What he didn't tell Alejandra was that Marie got the job because she managed to get in and reach every sensitive document they owned and managed to shut down the entire stations computers. She left him a short message that basically said their security sucked. So they hired her. When confronted, she said she got bored.

"I assume you're Sombra." He turned to Gabe, he laughed.

"No, I'm useless with computers. Sombra is my daughter." He pushed Marie forward. Sombra was a nickname she got from her mom. The chief's jaw dropped, he asked how old she was.

"I'm 15. I got in your computers in about 10 minutes. Want to know how to make it take longer?" She asked calmly. The chief nodded, surprised at her bluntness. She wavede goodbye to her dad and began to list their issues. He drove home and layed on the couch. He watched Walking Dead for the millionth time. He didn't like the show that much, but he didn't really have much else to do. At least until the door knocked. He opened it to a teenage girl with skin so pale it was translucent. He could see a network of veins in her neck. Her hair was thick and dark, her eyes cold and hard. She had a low cut top and jeans so tight they had to be cutting off her circulation. She had a paper plate in her hands, something on it was covered in foil. She was pretty, and terrifying. 

"Hello, I'm Amélie. We live next door. Jack has asked me to bring you something, and you're invited to dinner this Saturday." She sounded French, "He would like to welcome you to the neighborhood. He has given you his phone number to keep in touch, as he is busy and may not be home. He instructed me not to take no for an answer."

"Well alright then. Tell Jack that I said thank you and I'll keep in touch for Saturday." He nodded and took the plate from her. She walked back to her house leaving Gabe with a mysterious plate and a mysterious dinner invitation. He walked to the kitchen and uncovered his gift, lemon tart. As promised, a slip of paper with a phone number scribbled on it rested on the plate.He took a small slice and tasted it. Sweet and tart made his mouth water for more. He ended up scarfing another slice down before he decided that he should save some for when the kids got home. Something told him he wouldn't hold to his promise.

Eventually, he decided to go unpack some of the boxes in his room. As he pulled out photos and souvenirs he was flooded with pleasant memories. A photo of him and Alejandra with their faces painted like sugar skulls for _Dia de los Muertos_ before they got married. The stark white paint contrasted with their skin. Ali wore a black dress and roses in her hair. Gabe in a white suit and sombrero. He remembered dancing around and laughing as they listened to stories of people's relatives who had passed away. An old man who would steal sweets from the kitchen and blame it on the dog. A teenage girl who read until she needed glasses because she got so use to seeing things in front of her face. 

He found the music box he used to play for Marie when she was a baby. A sweater his mom made for him when he got married. The pin he wore when he was in the military. It was given to him by a friend, they had a matching pair. Sadly his friend was one of the unfortunate souls that didn't leave alive. He remembered the funeral, sneaking the pin onto her dress. He brings marigolds to her sometimes. Sometimes he takes her daughter and they drink tea out of pink teacups decorated with flowers. 

He pulled out a picture he took at halloween. Angela had dressed up as a witch and Torbjörn was a viking, a very short viking. They were draped across each other, a flurry of pale skin and blonde hair. Soon though, Jesse came inside.

"Hey, neighbors brought us lemon tart. And we're going over for dinner on Saturday." Gabe told him, "Who are your new friends?"

"A set of brothers." He started. He still had his southern drawl from his biological parents, "They're Japanese. The younger one's got green hair and the other one is an archer. Supposedly he real good at it too."

"How old are they?" Gabe asked, pleased that he found some new friends. It was always Marie and never Jesse that made friends.

"They're 16 and 18. They're pretty serious though. Ain't lots in their heads but working on their martial arts. Can't blame 'em though. Their family seems pretty messed up. They left Japan recently, so they ain't in touch really." He said, he seemed fond of them though.

"Do they live with anyone else right now?" Gabe asked. He kept getting more curious about these boys.

"Yeah, they're with some guy who I don't want to call a monk, but I don't really know another word for him. He looked at me like he was sorry for me, even though I barely said a word to him. Then he talked to me by myself and told me I got a lot a discord in my soul and he gave me a candle to bring harmony into my life." Jesse held out a little tin with a yellow label reading tranquility. It listed lemongrass, cinnamon, and rosemary as the special ingredients.

"He didn't ask for money, did he?" Gabe asked.

"No, he just gave it to me." Jesse shrugged, "He said that if you've got concerns you can look him up. His name's Tekhartha Zenyatta."

Gabe waited for his son walked upstairs before pulling his phone out and looking up the name. He learned that he had been a student of a monk, but disagreed with his way of bringing peace to the world. Instead of creating a church and teaching people, relationships should be formed between people. Eventually he left to pursue his own way. He now spends his days teaching people how to form friendships with others. After confirming that Jesse wasn't hanging out with a stoner, he decided to call the number that came with his lemon tart.

"Hello?" A deep, rough voice answered. He sounded tired

"Hi, we're the new neighbors and I believe that you invited us to dinner. I'm Gabe." He said. The man on the other end was telling someone to go ask Mei for help, he was on the phone right now, sweetheart.

"Yes we did. I'm Jack. So time for Saturday, Lucio has band practice until 6. Is 6:30 too late for you guys. Jamie don't play with the lighter." Jack told him. Gabe wasn't quite sure how to respond to that.

"That shouldn't be too late for us. Marie is working now so if she ends up needing to go in that won't work, but I don't think that'll be an issue." He decided to just ignore the lighter comment.

"Lena, can you take the lighter away from Jamie, his eyebrows just grew back. Awesome, so how many people will I need to plan for?" He asked.

"There's three of us." Gabe replied.

"Amélie, three people, remember that for me. I'm gonna have to let you go, my kid is trying to melt a fork." The line cut off. Gabe was a little shellshocked after their conversation. He tried replaying it in his head a few times, but it didn't make any more sense so he decided to stop before he got a headache. He had to go pick up Marie anyway, so he just shook his head, told Jesse where he was going and got in the car.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner with Jack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Chinese New Year guys. (I can say that until the 15th day I'm pretty sure.) If you don't celebrate it, then I hope you're having an awesome time with the update going on and just life in general.

The lemon tart was gone within the day and the neighbors were no less insane. Sombra had braided her hair over her shoulder and put on a lace black, long sleeve dress, pink leggings, with black combat boots. She changed her gauges from silver to black. Thankfully her makeup wasn't as bold as it usually was, although she kept her eyes dark with ink eyeliner over the black. Jesse had actually brushed out his hair and wore something that wasn't brown and red. A blue flannel shirt and a tan jacket, with black jeans. Gabe kept his usual black ensemble. He never really got over his emo phase. They headed over to Jack's house. 

Before they even knocked, they heard screaming and laughing inside. Once they did, a cute little asian girl with thick glasses framing her big eyes and her hair tied up in a bun answered the door. She had a blue tank top on and black leggings. She had fuzzy socks on. While she showed a lot of cleavage, he noticed Jesse having no trouble keeping eye contact. Somehow she felt too innocent. She looked comfy and Gabe wished he could be that comfy looking all the time. She smiled broadly at them and led them inside. She announced that their guests were here, she had a slight accent. The two little kids Gabe saw running around outside ran up to him and said hi. The little girl also had her hair tied in a neat bun with a yellow shirt and blue jeans. The boy had spiky blonde hair, green shorts, and a red shirt. His right hand and leg were both prosthetic. Jesse's cheeks turned pink when he saw them, he hid his left hand behind his back. Jack suddenly walked in the room, Gabe's heart nearly stopped beating. 

Blond hair streaked with gray, furiously blue eyes framed with crows feet and smile lines around his mouth. A scar crossed over his nose and another over . He wore all black with a bright blue leather jacket. Even covered up you could tell he had muscle to spare. He smiled at the three and brought them further inside.

"You must be Gabe. I'm Jack." He shook his hand, "These must be your kids."

"Yep, this is Marie and Jesse. 15, and 17." He pat each on the head as he said their name. Marie glared at him for touching her hair.

"Hi. I've got seven These two terrible children are Hana and Jamie. She's seven, he's eight. Amélie brought you lemon tart the other day, she's 17. This one is Mei, she's 15. Lena and Lucio are probably upstairs. She's 13, and he's 12. Satya is setting the table, and she's 14. They're all adopted in case you're wondering." He listed off. No wonder it was so crazy here. Gabe could just barely keep up with two, but seven kids. And all very obviously different from one another.

He brought them inside and invited them to sit down. Amélie was stirring a pot of sauce, her long hair pulled back in a ponytail. Her top was cut so low that even Marie had trouble keeping her eyes forward. She had a tattoo on her arm stating something in French. Another tattoo sat on the back of her neck, a black widow. Satya looked Indian. She wore a pale blue dress that looked perfect on her darker skin. Jack called for the other two, who came rushing downstairs. Lena had short brown hair and a cute nose. She wore an aviator jacket and orange leggings. Lucio had on a bright green workout shirt and basketball shorts. 

They all talked together and sat at the table together once the food was done. Jack was dishing two plates at once while telling Lena that was too much food for her and scolding Satya because she was dividing her food up into perfect sections. He handed the plates to Hana and Jamie and sat himself down. It all tasted fantastic and both of his kids went back for seconds. Jesse did keep his arm under the table most of the time though, but not before Jamie noticed. His eyes got wide but he stayed quiet.

"So what made you move out here?" Jack asked.

"Well, the house we were living in was honestly way too small for the three of us, and it just took forever to find another house. Work sent me out here, my ex wife lives nearby so it ended up working out for everyone involved." Gabe explained. Jack silently took a spoon away from Hana as he nodded. She had been trying to pour food on Jamie's head. She pouted, but continued eating, "So what are your stories?"

He really only cared about Jack, but that was beside the point. Hana started.

"I'm Korean. My real parents died when I was little, but I don't really remember. Dad says they were trying to run away from really bad people. Now I mostly just play Mario with Jamie." She smiled, "I always win."

"Jack took me in when I got taken away from my family. They didn't like me much. Since then I learned how to play six different instruments and play hockey." Lucio stated. Both acted as if this was no big deal to talk about for them.

"I survived a gas explosion. 'Course it cost an arm and a leg." Jamie grinned widely. 

"I kept running away from foster homes. Jack is the first home I didn't need to run from. Of course I still run though, I'm on the track team." Lena smiled fondly. Jack grew bashful as the stories continued.

"My family had too many children, so I was sent out of the country. China has rules about things like that. Jack helped me adjust." Mei spoke up. 

"India is a very poor country. My parents could not care for me. They sent me to Father." Satya sat straight backed and looked up sharply, directly at Amélie. She scowled at her and continued eating, "Amélie does not like speaking of her past."

Gabe was amazed at the difficult, almost horrific stories they were telling with ease. He struggled to talk about Ana, but an eight year old joked about missing limbs. It was like they lived in a bubble where everything was okay, and everyone was happy. Sometimes Gabe wished that he could live in a bubble like that.

As soon as dinner was over, Hana tugged at Marie's sleeve and begged her to go play Smash with her. She looked at Gabe and he shrugged, giving her permission if she wanted to. Jesse went as well. They went upstairs and Jack urged his other kids to go with. Jack and Gabe stood by themselves in the kitchen. Jack relaxed into a chair by his breakfast bar. 

"I'd offer you a drink, but we haven't allowed alcohol in the house since Jamie found out it was flammable. Even rubbing alcohol is padlocked in a box in the garage. I'm lucky none of them know how to pick locks yet." He shook his head. Gabe chuckled to himself, "You wouldn't laugh if you had to take your eight year old to the hospital giggling because he blew himself up."

"Sorry, it's just a funny reason to have that rule. Anyway, what made you adopt all these kids?" Gabe asked, leaning over to be at eye level with him. Jack shrugged.

"It's a long story, but I'll do my best to keep it short. Amélie was the first. I was in the military for a long time and she was a prisoner of a terrorist organization. The only friends or family she had was a boyfriend she ended up being forced to kill. It's a touchy subject for her, obviously. She was 13. No one even reported her as missing. She didn't have anywhere to go, refusing to go into foster care, so I volunteered to take her in. After that, whenever a kid was found with nowhere left to go, I made sure to make a little more room for them here. I've never had a baby though." Jack explained, he seemed sad, worn down, tired, "And I just made the conversation way heavier than it needs to be."

"It's cool. And I've gone though the baby phase, just so you know. Not missing out on much besides being thrown up on and having to teach them how to flush a toilet." Gabe smiled at him. 

"This is probably way too personal, and you don't have to answer at all if you don't want, but what made you get a divorce?" Jack asked. Again, Gabe laughed.

"If I was anyone else in the world, you wouldn't get an answer. Basically I had a sexuality crisis and we figured that it would be better in the long run if I didn't have a wife if I was gay. It was super nice and clean, surprisingly. We're still on good terms." He explained briefly. A few fights were inevitable, but overall his divorce was easy. Jack perked up a little after he finished his short story. 

"It's awesome that she was so calm about it. At least it sounds like that. I got stuck with don't ask don't tell. God, I almost cried when I found out that it was being repealed." Jack smiled to himself. Gabe's stomach did backflips of joy when he heard that Jack actually like men. He felt awful that he was so excited about such a bad thing, but it meant that he might have a chance.

"I was in the army then too. I didn't know I was gay then, but I always hated it. It didn't make sense." Gabe shook his head.

"I actually got to go to the signing. I may or may not have hugged the president when most of the people left. I almost got arrested." Jack looked down at his lap. Gabe couldn't stop the laugh building in his belly, "Stop laughing. This is serious."

"I know, I know. It's just cute is all." The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. Jack's cheeks flushed red and he shifted in his seat. Gabe wanted to wrap him in every blanket he could find and make him hot cocoa and snuggle with him on the couch while watching shitty movies. 

"So what about besides the army? What else do you do?" Jack finally looked up, baby blue eyes blinked at him with long lashes.

"I grew up in LA. I had an emo phase that lasted way too long, before emo was a thing really. Too many pictures exist where I have a fringe and eyeliner. I had snakebites for a while actually. Tried to be in a band a couple times. Sorted myself out mostly when I joined the military. Got married, had a baby, traveled a lot. Eventually I got Jesse. He's my godson technically. That's about all I got for you." Gabe shrugged. He led a boring life. Granted, he did leave out the more intense details, the injury, Ana, that time he beat up his band teacher, and a Mexican gangster, and that time he got arrested for reckless driving. Maybe he didn't lead a boring life after all, "What about you?"

"My dad was a farmer in Indiana. Got into a little trouble here and there, but nothing serious. Joined the army, adopted some kids, that's it." He shrugged. And then silence. Jack opened his mouth like he was about to say something, but-

"Dad! Jamie said that Luigi was better than Mario! And then he said that Peach is better off with Bowser!" Hana looked like she was about to cry.

"Then that's his opinion and you need to respect that. And yes, even if he thinks that Peach should stay with Bowser." He explained to her, calmly. 

"But what if he says that his favorite Pokemon is Goldeen?" She asked.

"Then that is unacceptable and he needs to be taught. And I see no better candidate than you." He told her.

"Dad, what's a candidate?" She rocked on her heels.

"Someone who applies for an important job." He told her. She nodded gave him a hug and ran back upstairs. Gabe raised his eyebrows, "She likes Nintendo. I know 151 Pokemon names because of her." 

"What's a Goldeen?" Gabe asked.

"As far as I can tell, a goldfish." He said. Gabe nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sombra's outfit is based on the skin [Augmented](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/h-b77f8JD-g/maxresdefault.jpg)  
> Mccree's is based on [On the Range](http://static.icy-veins.com/images/overwatch/mccree-skin-on-the-range.jpg)  
> Mei is based on her [Freeze](http://overwatch.blizzplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/mei-spray-7-freeze.png) spray  
> D.Va is based on her [Junebug](http://pre12.deviantart.net/d32d/th/pre/f/2016/184/d/2/d2d6bbccd87070ca04b67d22f9f22734-da8k7r5.jpg) skin  
> Soldier is based on [Strike Commander-Morrison](http://orcz.com/images/thumb/6/6b/OverwatchSoldier76StrikeCommanderMorrisonSkin.jpg/600px-OverwatchSoldier76StrikeCommanderMorrisonSkin.jpg)
> 
> I totally forgot this in the first chapter, but the entire concept was inspired [Hot For Teacher](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8511274/chapters/19507228) by l2set. (I'm pretty sure that's their name.) It's a bit different than this, but I still love it and you should all go read it. 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Luigi is totally better than Mario


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angela comes to visit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't tell exactly what county Angela was in (I'm using the map in Recall for reference) but it looks to be either Iraq or Iran. I went with Iraq because there's a Red Cross station thing there. And her Swiss Frankenstein comment is a reference to the novel, which is one of my favorite books of all time.
> 
> Sorry if I play Angela up a bit, but I'm a Mercy main, so I tend to do that.

Angela sat on a barstool while Gabe made drinks. Coffee for himself and tea for Angela. She had forced him to buy a kettle for when she came to visit, she couldn't comprehend using a stove or microwave to heat water. 

"How has Iraq been?

"I have been doing all I can. My team says I am doing amazing work, but I know I can do more. Torb has been trying to use my technology in a rifle form and he is constantly ignoring my concerns. What if it is used to harm?" She held her face in her hands. 

"You always worry, it's amazing you don't look older than 21." Her told her, "At this rate you'll live to be at the very least 150."

"Oh Gabriel, you have always been a flatterer. I am nearly 40, not much younger than you." She smiled and laughed.

"Well, you certainly wear it better." He repeated. She rolled her eyes, but remained smiling.

"Tell about what you've been up to. I have not been able to keep up." She took her cup of tea when Gabe handed it to him. He took a deep breath and leaned over the counter, "Ah. I see."

"I didn't say anything." He whined defensively. 

"Sit up, pouting doesn't suit you. And you did say something, just not with your mouth. You've met someone." She bat her eyelashes. Gabe looked hurt. Jesse called that he was going out and he'd be back soon. Gabe gave in and blabbed about his attraction to the man next door. Just has he finished, the doorbell rang. He went and answered the door to see Jack standing there with Hana and Jamie.

"Jamie melted a plastic bowl in the oven, for some reason that I can't comprehend," Jamie proteste, but Jack glared, "and we're not allowed to be in our house until it airs out. Is it okay if we hang out over here till then?" He seemed so mad at his son, "It'll just be us three the rest are out doing their thing." 

"Come on in. I have a friend visiting from Iraq, so that could give us something to do. Jesse just left, but Marie is upstairs if you want to go see her." He told them, while he waved them inside. Jack and Angela introduced themselves while the kids ran upstairs. Gabe called out the location of her bedroom so they could find it. The two adults discussed her work in the middle east and her innovations in the field of medicine. 

"I only do what I am able to, I am not the genius the world sees me as." She shook her head.

"You're being ridiculously modest, you just about brought me back from the dead. You're only a few years away from figuring out how to literally resurrect the dead." He laughed at her lack of pride at such obvious accomplishments. It made her endearingly polite.

"Oh, Gabriel. No need to talk me up in front of your friend. The media does enough of that as is. And all of that work is nothing more than a Frankenstein complex, must have something to do with being Swiss." She laughed and waved him off. They continued to talk while Gabe took in Jack's casual clothes. 

He had on a bright blue t-shirt with the phrase _Top Dad_ displayed in the Top Gun logo. He had on a pair of jeans and tennis shoes, he went hardcore dad to say the least. For some reason, it made him feel like a silly teenager in his Led Zeppelin shirt and his tattoos down his arms. Angela was of course, the best dressed. She wore black jeans and boots and a white, cable knit sweater dress. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail with her bangs falling over her face. She was perfectly angelic. Marie walked into the kitchen where they were talking, with her laptop in one hand and typing with the other. Without speaking, she opened the fridge, got a six pack of cans of lemonade and went back upstairs. They all just watched her, silently. The second she was out of sight, Jack asked,

"Does that happen often?" 

"Probably working. She wouldn't be so absorbed if it wasn't important. She's most likely got the kids watching Netflix or something." He shrugged, Jack nodded.

"What does she do?" He asked.

"Online security for the police." He answered. He quickly explained what she did, leaving out some of the more incriminating details of her little escapade that got her the job. He nodded. They talked for a few more minutes before Angela pulled out her passive trolling that she was less well known for, but maybe more prominent than her pacifistic nature.

"Well, I must say you are a pleasure to talk to. Gabriel spoke so very highly of you and I must say I'm not disappointed. You've certainly made your mark, and after one night, a true achievement." She smiled. He almost wished she wasn't so sweet and she would just grin evilly at him instead of just giggling like nothing happened. His face turned bright red. Jack glanced over at him and Gabe shrugged a little.

"You know, I just mentioned some of our conversation." He stuttered, "I didn't mean to talk you up."

"Really? I specifically remember you talking about the exact shade of blue his eyes were." She held a hand over her her chest. Gabe let out a very unmanly squeak. Jack tried to fight off a smile. Gabe hadn't wanted to bury himself from embarrassment since he was a teenager, he decided that the only solution was to leave the country and change his name. He was halfway through planning his escape when Jack spoke up again.

"Is that so? Then in that case, I suppose there's no avoiding it." Jack shook his head, "You wanna go out for coffee?"

Gabe's eyes widened in shock. He looked at Angela, who shrugged innocently. She planned this. There was no way around it, she somehow knew this would work out. 

"Oh, uh, yeah, sure. I'd love to." Why was he so flustered, he had never been flustered before by anything. He had always made other people flustered, "When should we go?"

"How does right now sound? I mean if it's okay if my kids come over here when they get back from whatever they're doing." Jack asked.

"It sounds wonderful," Angela said for him, "I shall happily take care of the children. All will be well here. Now go out and have fun like the old men you are. Gabriel, you're not allowed to fret while you're out. Have fun, I will take care of things here, do not worry."

"You told me you're just as old as I am." Gabe defended himself.

"You told me I look 21." She grinned and pushed him out the door, he stopped to put on a pair of boots before stepping outside. Jack pulled a pack of sticky notes out of his pocket and a pen from the table in the entryway. He scribbled a note to his kids and put the sticky note on his own front door.

~*~

Jack sat with Gabriel at a little table with his cup of coffee. Both were unsure, neither were exactly skilled in dating anymore. Gabe hadn't even thought about it after his relationship took a turn into exclusivity. And he didn't even realize that Jack hadn't been on a real date since high school. He joined the military at 19 and only retired a few years ago, he didn't have the opportunity. They agreed to have Gabe look up some getting to know you questions. While he scrolled through his phone looking for a question, a girl walked up to them.

"Excuse me, I don't mean to be rude, but are you Jack Morrison by chance?" She asked, Gabe looked up at them. 

"I am, yes." He smiled at her.

"Thank god. I would be so embarrassed if you weren't. I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done. My girlfriend just signed up for the military, and you let her talk about me while she's gone. I'll let you get back to him, but thank you so much." She was grinning like a maniac. Jack smiled bashfully. 

"It wasn't my doing, I only gave it a slight push." He winked at her, "Now come here and let's take a selfie."

She laughed and pulled out her phone. They snapped a picture and she posted it to her Instagram. Gabe was smiling at the pair and she thanked him once again. Jack looked back at him and shrugged. He looked so innocent and smug about the attention. Gabe hid his face in his hands. Jack giggled and grabbed his hands, pulling them down to the table.

"Blushing looks good on you." He said. Gabe blushed harder and quickly looked at his phone.

"What's your favorite ice cream flavor?" He squeaked out. Jack laughed and answered cookies and cream. Gabe relaxed and said strawberry, but it couldn't have the chunks in it. He didn't notice that Jack was gently rubbing circles into the back of his hand while he sipped his drink. He asked if he had any weird, hidden talents. Jack insisted he go first.

"I have hyperextended arms if that counts. If it doesn't I can sneeze on command and pop my jaw out of place." He shrugged. Jack's eyes widened.

"You can sneeze on command?" He asked. Gabe nodded and sneezed. Jack looked a little frightened, "That's the weirdest thing I've ever seen. Granted my talent will probably surprise you a lot."

Gabe leaned forward, tangling his fingers with Jack's without knowing. 

"I can pole dance." Jack said, scratching the back of his head. Gabe shifted a little in his seat.

"Excuse me?" He was nearly paralyzed with shock. 

"I needed something to help pay for college, because I graduated high school when I was 17 and my parents couldn't afford tuition. So I worked two part time jobs. I may or may not have lied a lot to get hired as a performer in a strip club, along with being a cashier somewhere or something. I don't remember. After I retired from the military I took up the pole dancing part again. Not the stripping part, don't get your hopes up." Jack told his story. Gabe choked on his coffee. After he recovered they tried to continue their conversation, but Gabe couldn't keep the image out of his mind. Soon they left for their respective homes. Gabe realized, not only that he'd been holding hands with Jack almost the entire time, but that his hand was now empty. He carefully slipped it back into Jack's as they walked. The blond man squeezed it lightly and leaned over to whisper in his ear.

"I bet I still have some pictures if you wanna see." He said nothing more, but it was enough to turn Gabe's face a shade of red Jack had never seen on a person before. He was falling in love with seeing him so embarrassed, so he decided to turn him even redder and pressed his lips just below his ear. 

Sadly, Jack's home was still too dangerous to live in, and their company had increased by Lena and Satya. Angela had her hands full, running around and keeping everyone entertained, but she basked in the work. Gabe stepped inside and waved Jack in. Angela asked how it went and Gabe just blushed while Jack answered-

"It went amazingly, thank you for asking."

Angela smiled mischievously at the pair. She had so much more planned for the two of them.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabe meets Zenyatta and the Super Shimada Bros.

Marie sat quietly at the table, happily eating Froot Loops at noon. Angela was on the phone, and Jesse was at the Shimada's. Now that Gabe thought about it, he'd been over there for a few hours now. What was he doing? He decided he better go check up on the boy, he hadn't ever met these people before. They could be axe murderers for all he knew. He announced his departure and walked over to the home of the two brothers. Jesse had told him where they all lived and explained how to get there if he ever needed to. He knocked on the door to see a short Asian boy with neon green hair and large, dark eyes. He had a pointed, babyish face and long delicate fingers. He reminded Gabe of imps and fairies and elves. He called out to someone unseen. 

A man walked out from behind him. Bald, tan, long faced. He walked so softly over the ground he almost floated. Gabe immediately felt calmer when he saw him and his kind, narrow eyes. He smelled like lavender and peppermint. 

"Hello, I am Tekhartha Zenyatta. You must be Jesse's father." He held out his hand, Gabe shook it lightly. The man's voice was so soft and gentle, Gabe wanted him to read him to sleep every night. It was lovely. 

"I am. My name's Gabriel Reyes. I go by Gabe usually." He smiled.

"Is there a problem? I was not made aware of any plans to have him home. If there were I greatly apologize for not accommodating." He seemed genuinely concerned if everything was okay.

"No, no problem. You didn't do anything wrong. I was just getting a little concerned. Jesse usually lets me know if he's staying anywhere for very long and he didn't this time, that combined with the fact that I've never met you or the boys he's spending time with. I decided to just pop over and see how things were going." Gabe felt peaceful, at ease. 

"I see, your concerns are understandable of course. But I can assure you, we have no ill intentions toward your son." Zenyatta laughed lightly, "Of course, I can go fetch him and Hanzo if you would like me to."

"Oh, if you'd like you can." Gabe shrugged.

"I'll be only a moment. Genji, would you show him to the sitting room please? Remember to be a good host for our guest, seeing as that is a struggle of your's." He asked the boy. Genji nodded and invited him inside. Gabe followed him into a room full of soft, pillowy couches. Everything was colored warm and muted, leaving Gabe feeling like he could sit down and be content for the rest of his life. Genji asked if he would like tea, which Gabe politely turned down. 

"Jesse tells me you're from Japan. What brought you to America?" Gabe asked, trying to make light conversation.

"I had an accident. I ran away. Zenyatta found me and brought my brother and me here to live with him. We were in Nepal for a year, then he decided it was too close to Japan for me, so here we are." Genji explained briefly, "Zenyatta has made it much easier to live, though I still have much work to do before I can move on."

"Did you learn martial arts before your accident?" Gabe asked. He had a feeling that a lot more was going on than Genji was letting on, but he didn't want to force anything out of the kid. 

"Yes. Hanzo is actually the better swordsman. But as I said before, I had an accident. Now he's learning how to shoot, and he takes to it like a fish to water." Genji said. Zenyatta walked back into the room, with Jesse and another boy trailing behind him.

"Genji, would you like to continue working on that lovely blanket while we talk?" Zenyatta asked, Genji nodded and left the room, "There's tension between these brothers. Much said and done between the two that should never have been thought. Genji knits to relax, but that is not important right now. Hanzo, this is Gabe, Jesse's father."

Hanzo had a sharp face, hard eyes and long hair tied back and out of his face. He was taller than his brother, and much huskier. He was built of muscle and mass while Genji was small and lithe. 

"Hello, Gabe." Hanzo greeted. His voice was deep and rough, a stark contrast to Genji's light, high voice. Jesse stared at the boy with a small, dazed smile. 

"Hi." Gabe grinned, "Odd question, but did you drug me son, he seems spacey."

"I'm fine." Jesse snapped out of his trance with a toothy grin. Gabe chuckled to himself.

"What have you guys been doing?" He asked.

"Hanzo's been teaching me Japanese a little. I'm not very good yet, obviously. He said he could teach me how to shoot a bow if I really wanted. Other than that we've been playing board games, talking, watching tv together." Jesse smiled. Gabe nodded.

"Well, hurry back to your games. I was just making sure you weren't kidnapped or anything." Gabe nudged him towards Hanzo. He bowed him head and followed the other back to wherever they were before.

"Excuse me, Mr. Reyes-"

"You can call me Gabe too you know." He smiled.

"Oh, yes, of course. Gabe, I hate to disturb the harmonious aura, but I really do feel like I need to discuss something with you about Jesse." Zenyatta pursed his lips. Gabe shifted forward, "There is so much disquiet within him. I've met soldiers who cannot leave their homes for fear of enemy fire, surgeons who have lost the use of their hands, dancers confined to wheelchairs, and he is in nearly the same amount of emotional anguish."

"He's had a rough life, and he's a sensitive kid. I can't imagine how much he's hurting, but that seems like a bit of an exaggeration." Gabe said. Zenyatta shook his head.

"I know what he feels. It is much more than even I would be able to bear. He is hiding something from all but himself. He's burying a secret in hopes of forgetting it. He is afraid someone will find it. I'm sorry I don't know what it might be, I only know feelings not thoughts. I know he blames himself for something I do not know, he feels mutilated and misshapen. Please speak to him. I am willing help ease whatever pain I can to help him. Even now, I do my best to make my home somewhere safe he can escape to if he needs it, I imagine that is why he spends all his time here. I am trying to give him safe tools to help bring peace into his life, just as I do with my boys." Zenyatta seemed distraught. Gabe didn't even know if he should believe him or not, "You are in love, though you feel lost in the new relationship. It is something you've never experienced before, but you should relax, there is nothing to stress over. All healthy relationships are created equal, no matter the parties involved. Treat it as you would any other."

Gabe held his face in his hands. If Zen could get all that from just a few minutes with him, imagine the knowledge he'd have from hours with Jesse. 

"What happened with Genji and Hanzo?" Gabe looked up, he needed to think. He steered the conversation away from his racing thoughts.

"Abuse, and the results of abuse. Hanzo was loyal to his father, while Genji was not. Sojiro decided the best way to straighten out the younger was through Hanzo. Genji will carry his scars for the rest of his life. Hanzo regrets what he did, but there is much left to heal." Zenyatta explained. Gabe sighed he stood to leave, thanking Zenyatta for the insight, "Oh, before you go. Take this with you for Jesse, he knows how to use it. It's a mix of geranium, clary sage, lavender, and grapefruit. Just see if it makes any difference."

"I will." Gabe smiled.

"And I have my full confidence in you and your new partner." Zenyatta smiled. Gabe laughed nervously before walking back home. 

Jack was sitting at the bar in the kitchen while Angela was rambling on about something or other. Gabe wasn't sure how to react, luckily he didn't have to. Angela had grabbed his hand and pushed him into the chair next to Jack, who smiled and shrugged. The doctor gasped and hurried out of the room, claiming to have forgotten something.

"What's that?" Jack asked, gesturing to the bottle in Gabe's hand.

"Just something for Jesse." He shrugged. Jack nodded.

"So, I came over to see if you wanted to come with me to see my friend Winston talk at a science festival. I mostly just go for moral support, I don't actually know what he's talking about most of the time." Jack offered. Gabe could feel his nerves acting up, but he reminded himself of Zenyatta's words and calmed down before he could panic.

"Sure, I'd love to." He agreed. Jack smiled and kissed him. Gabe jumped back at first, but he relaxed into it. 

"Oh my god!" Marie shouted. The two men jumped back as fast as they could, "You're dating the neighbor, Dad?"

"No, I am not. I just-we were-okay fine. I'm dating the neighbor, but don't tell Jesse yet." He begged her.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because I don't want him to know yet." Gabe explained, Marie just raised an eyebrow. Gabe sighed, "I'll buy you a gallon tub of that Superman ice cream you like."

"Jesse won't hear a word from me." She bat her eyelashes and left the room with a bottle of juice from the fridge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Superman ice cream is the best flavor of ice cream. I only know one place that sells it, sadly. But it's delicious.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Day In The Life of Jack Morrison

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, but the next one will be totally dedicated to their day off.

Jack was trying to get everyone fed. Hana and Jamie were yelling and chasing each other around the house, Lucio was trying to find his trumpet and asking everyone in the house, Lena was asking about going to a friend's house today, Satya was furiously trying to straighten up only to have her progress destroyed, Mei was doing her best to help in every way she could, while Amélie searched for her pointé shoes. Bowls and plates were being passed every direction and the room was filled with more words than Jack could focus on. Eventually he did manage to get everyone sat down and ready to eat. He started dishing food, he had to recite everyone's food issues to himself. Hana won't eat anything the color green, Jamie wants his toast just barely not bread anymore (the only thing he doesn't burn), Lucio is allergic to peanuts, Lena will eat twice her weight in food, Satya doesn't like egg. He passed the food out and let them eat before sending them off to their respective classes, or clubs, or summer day camps.

"Dad?" Jamie tugged on his shirt, surprisingly calm, "Is it okay if I invite a friend to spend the night?"

"Depends on the friend. Have I met them before?" Jack asked, sipping at his coffee. Jamie shook his head.

"His name is Mako. He gave me his mom's phone number yesterday so you could meet each other." He rocked on his feet, "Please, dad. I really, really, really want him to come over."

"I'll call, then maybe." Jack told him. Jamie cheered and handed him a slip of paper with neat numbers written on it. He urged Jamie to go play with Hana or something so he could talk. He dialed the number and waited for someone to pick up.

"Hello, this is Sophia Rutledge. May I ask who is speaking?" A woman's voice asked. 

"Hi, this is Jack Morrison. My son, Jamie, is begging to invite Mako over. Jamie gave me this number saying it was his mom's." Jack explained briefly.

"Oh really?" Her voice took an enthusiastic turn, "Mako has just been going on and on about Jamie for days now. Would you like to meet up somewhere, or should I just bring him over."

"Oh you can just bring him over, if you're okay with that of course." Jack told her. They discussed what dates would work and what times. Hana tapped on his shoulder.

"Dad, can we go play Mario?" She asked.

"I'm on the phone sweetie, but I'll go play in a few minutes. Sound okay?" Jack offered. She pouted, but agreed anyway, "Sorry, my daughter wanted me to play Mario with her."

"Oh, you have a daughter too? Is it just those two?" She asked, Jack had to bite his lip to keep from laughing.

"No, uh, I actually have seven. All adopted. Now that I think about it, I don't think any of my kids are even from the same country." Jack mentally ran through his children, naming their home countries. 

"You said your name was Jack Morrison? That sounds familiar, but I don't know why it would. Might I know you from somewhere?" She asked.

"Not personally, no. I was involved in some military stuff before, so you might know me from there." He explained. There was silence for a little while before a shocked gasp.

"Oh my god. I just looked up the name and wow, you did some incredible work." She continued to gush over him for a while longer. Jack tuned her out a little, sick of hearing about all the good he's done. He has a goddam statue, he doesn't need reassurance. 

"I should also mention, I have a doctor visiting my neighbor, so you shouldn't need to worry about anything medical." Jack assured, "You can look her up if you want. Dr. Angela Ziegler."

Another round of silence followed by swearing, "Excuse my language, but my god. How old is this woman? She looks just barely out of college."

"I believe 37." He answered. She was quiet for a moment.

"I better go. My husband's wondering why I'm talking for so long. I'll bring Mako over Thursday at 4?"

"Perfect." Jack said. They said a polite goodbye and hung up. Jack walked upstairs, he alerted Jamie when Mako would be over and then went to play Nintendo games with Hana. Of course, he was beaten to a pulp with ease. He should get Hana some harder games. They played for about an hour before Hana became bored and kicked Jack out. He collapsed on his bed for a moment of peace. He got a full half minute of relaxation before his phone rang. He answered without caring to look at the number. He wanted to groan out loud, but he kept his composure.

"Jack, the kids are visiting their mom, so Angela and I have the house to ourselves." Gabe answered, "She offered to take care of your kids if you wanted to come over and hang out. Or if one of the older kids is home, Angela could stay with us."

"What?" Jack was a little confused, just leaving his kids so he could see a friend wasn't in his nature.

"You can come over, watch movies, play board games, whatever. Just a super quiet day with just the two or three of us." Gabe offered. Jack considered. Amélie was at practice, but Mei would be here until 2, by then Amélie and Satya both would be back. And the only one that really needed a constant eye was Jamie, the rest could get by for a few hours by themselves. And Jack really did need a break, and with Gabe no less. But what if something happened while he was gone? Gabe asked if he was still there.

"Yeah. I'm just thinking." He bit his lip, "Sure. It sounds like a lot of fun, and god knows I need a day to relax."

"Sweet, I'm at the store. Need me to pick up anything specific for you? Junk food preferably." Gabe said.

"Uhm, can you get some of the Salt and Vinegar Lays." Jack was blushing. He didn't get the opportunity to eat a lot of junk food, "They're heavenly."

"You got it. You can head over whenever, we'll be back in about 15 minutes but the garage code is 1135 so you can get in. Again, it's a break day, dress comfy." Gabe told him before hanging up. Jack found Mei in her room, he told her she was in charge for a few hours and she could call if she needed anything. He took his time getting ready, he didn't feel the need to change, but he tried fixing his hair up a little. He grabbed his phone and charger and made sure all four kids would be okay while he was gone. He waited a few more minutes before heading over.

**Author's Note:**

> Not 100% percent on day of the dead customs, as that's not something I celebrate and Google can only do so much. I really only know about the cheesy halloween costumes that I hate with a passion. If there's something I got wrong or I could improve on please let me know. I know it's a little snippet here, but if things go according to plan then it will play a fairly large part and I'd love as much extra info as I can get on the subject.
> 
> You can buy those aromatherapy candles [here](http://www.beeswaxcandles.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=BN&Category_Code=aromatherapy_travel). I have Well Being, Uplifting, Tranquility, and Clarity. My mom likes to give them to me.


End file.
